The present invention relates to a double-mass flywheel, sometimes called a divided flywheel, particularly for installation between an internal combustion engine and a transmission, preferably for use in a motor vehicle or another comparable installation.
A double-mass flywheel of this type is known from published Federal Republic of Germany Application OS 39 30715.8. It includes an elastic coupling which is arranged between a first flywheel mass and a second flywheel mass and which is connected in series with a slippable friction clutch. In that flywheel, a friction element of the friction clutch is acted upon by centrifugal force and is thus able to limit the torque transmitted below a specific speed of rotation. In this way, peak torques in the resonant region are reduced.
There is one disadvantage of this previously known double-mass flywheel. The springs for transmitting the torque from one flywheel mass to the other lie radially relatively far inward. Due to the resulting relatively small radius of action, the springs must be made correspondingly stronger. The stronger springs take up a correspondingly greater amount of space in the axial direction. However, the designer of the flywheel has little space available, especially in the axial direction.
Federal Republic of Germany published Application OS 38 15 505 describes a double-mass flywheel in which the springs are arranged in the region of the outer circumference, so that the springs have a greater radius of action and can be made of correspondingly smaller size. However, the springs extend around the circumference, over a lengthy portion of the circumference. Thus, no space remains for an articulated connection of the two side disks or for the inclusion of a torque limitation, which would have advantages with respect to the strength and the life of the double-mass flywheel.